Absence Management Developing a Strategic approachAbsence Management Developing a Strategic approach

Helping your business run better

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Contents Contents

• Absence Management Ethics

• Data on Absence management

• Causes of employee absence

• Reviewing, Analysing and addressing Trends

• Managing Short Term Absence

• Managing Long term absence

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Absence management EthicsAbsence management Ethics

Competing expectations within organisation

• Fair and consistent Approach – clear statement on standards

• Explicit management commitment

• Procedure of managing absence that demonstrates rigor

• Employee confidentiality

• Clarity on management of problem absence

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Absence management dataAbsence management data

• “Significant” cost to 90% businesses

• Annual cost almost £700 per employee or 8 days or 3.5% of working time

• Employers with less than 100 employees have lowest average absence 6.1

• Average levels of absence 9.8 public sector compared with 7.4 in private sector

• 64% absence < 7 days; 16% 7 days to 4 weeks; 20% 4 weeks or more

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Causes of absence Causes of absence

Manual Non Manual

Minor Illnesses* Minor Illnesses*

Back Pain Stress**

Muscular Skeletal injuries Muscular Skeletal injuries

Home/Family Responsibilities Back pain

Stress Home/Family responsibilities

Reoccurring Medical injuries /accidents not related to work

Reoccurring medical other not related to ill health

*Colds, Flu, Stomach upsets and headaches

**Stress related absence continues to rise with 32% of those surveyed reporting increase in stress related absence

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StressStress

• 1/3 of Employers report that of stress is increasing

• Likely causes – workload management style relationships at work

• 2/3 of employers are looking into why?

• 50% of Employers looking to manage stress are using flexible working as part of strategy

• 27% employers use HSE stress management standards

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Reviewing absence managementReviewing absence management

• Do we have a problem ?

– Review

– Analyse Trends

– Interpret and respond

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Recording of Data – Monthly Recording of Data – Monthly

• Identify employee

• Where can they be contacted

• Date of first absence

• Cause of absence

• Is the absence work related

• Working days spent absent

• Expected length of absence

• Return to work date

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Testing the quality of your DataTesting the quality of your Data

• Collation of data on individual basis

• If not you who has this responsibility and where are they within the organisation

• Ensure the circulation and presentation if the data is made regularly

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Analysing Trends Analysing Trends

• Lost time rate

• Frequency rate

• Individual frequency rate

• Bradford factor

• Sector and geographical variance

• Benchmarking

• Absence patterns – e.g. Short and long term analysis, individuals, departments, locations and Fridays and Mondays

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Trends – and strategy for addressing Trends – and strategy for addressing

• Retention problem underlying absence

• Young female absence

• Past absence patterns

• Negative employee attitude

• Stress

• Family responsabilities

• Travel difficulties

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Setting a strategySetting a strategy

• Standards

– Attendance is the norm

– Impact, efficiency, cover, quality and customer

– Support the genuine to facilitate return

• Clear procedures

– Notification and updating of managers

– Certification required

– What will happen on return to work

– Consequences of not following procedure

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Embedding your strategyEmbedding your strategy

• Communication

• Recruitment, induction and selection

• Performance Management, Reward and incentive

• Work organisation and job design

• Flexible working policies

• Occupational Health initiatives

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Managing short term absence Managing short term absence

• When does this become problematic

• Is the absence justified on medical grounds

• What underlying causes can be addressed

• What steps to take to improve attendance

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Addressing Short term absenceAddressing Short term absence

• Return to work interviews

• Investigations

• Review meetings

• Occupational Health advisors

• Contact with GP’s and use of medical information

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Procedure for managing Short term absence Procedure for managing Short term absence

• Full and proper investigation – fact based

• Explore underlying medical

• Prompt management action

• Expectation setting

• Where no improvement consequences that could follow

• DDA and pregnancy

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Managing long term absence Managing long term absence

• Do you know when they are likely to return to work

• What steps can you take to obtain a clearer prognosis of return

• What practical steps can you take to help individuals return to work

• What support and contact is appropriate while they are absent

• What action should you take as an employer to prepare for the return to work at the appropriate time

• What support may they require when they do return to work

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Addressing Long term absence Addressing Long term absence

• Consult fully at all stages and maintain regular contact

• Seek appropriate medical advice

• Review reasonable options of alternative employment or other means of facilitating return to work

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CommunicationCommunication

Do’s

• Create climate of trust

• Consider training for those who make contact

• Encourage discussion about overcoming barriers to return

• Carry out return to work interviews

• Keep records of contact made

Don’ts

• Wait till LTS happen to create strategy

• Put off making contact or passing responsibility

• Make assumptions about situation

• Put pressure on employee to discuss return

• Mention the pressure on colleagues

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Medical advice Medical advice

• Detail the request for medical report

• Consent

• Refusal

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Alternative employment and work adjustments Alternative employment and work adjustments

• Consideration of part time basis

• Day work for a role that is shift based

• Consideration of heavy lifting

• Whether possible to move other staff to different tasks

Reasonableness – size of employer, complexity of work, cost, deadline pressures and customer contact

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….Absence Management….Absence Management

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